LAKELAND, Fla. -- While Detroit Tigers reliever Joe Jimenez was working out here at the team's facility last week, his family back home in Puerto Rico recorded a significant milestone in their recovery from Hurricane Maria.

Finally, more than four months after the Category 5 storm tore through the island, their power was turned back on.

During the long wait, the family relied on generators that they switched on at night after returning from work.

"It was tough to see them like that and not be there for them," said Jimenez. "But I feel pretty happy now that they have power and everything's getting better. But obviously there's a lot people that still don't have power, so it's pretty tough."

Jimenez spent the offseason working out here in Florida and said he's considered moving here full-time after he gets more established in the big leagues.

"It's not just players. I have friends that just moved to the United States," Jimenez said. "I think it's better. They don't have to worry about the situation and the crime over there."

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated United States territory and its residents are U.S. citizens who can live and work anywhere in the country without restriction. So it's far easier for family and friends of Puerto Rican players to move here than it is for those from Venezuela, another baseball hotspot that has faced recent turmoil.

Hurricane Maria hit just as Jimenez was finishing up a 2017 season in which he faced adversity on the field for the first time.

Jimenez said he didn't despair and still believes his best years in baseball are ahead of him.

"I just turned 23 years old. There's a lot of players that wish to be in this situation right now, even though I struggled," he said. "I didn't feel like it was the end of the world.

"I don't really think about last year at all. I'm excited about (my future) and I'm going to do all I can to be a good pitcher."

Despite his struggles in 2017, Jimenez is considered a favorite to win a bullpen spot this spring. But the bullpen is almost completely wide open, and beyond Shane Greene, there are no guaranteed jobs.

Asked about his preferred role, Jimenez laughed. "To make the team," he said. "That's the main thing. From there, we'll just see what happens."